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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Concrete People
john fekner
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Statement
The days of masterpieces are over. Singular art objects no longer have the power to reach the general public. Effort spent on creating artworks can be better utilized by devoting our time to other types of communication and distribution. Writing, performing, recording records, videos and computers are the necessary tools to deal with the speed of living in today's world. Throw away the paint brushes and the charcoal.
The days of masterpieces are over. Singular art objects no longer have the power to reach the general public. Effort spent on creating artworks can be better utilized by devoting our time to other types of communication and distribution. Writing, performing, recording records, videos and computers are the necessary tools to deal with the speed of living in today's world. Throw away the paint brushes and the charcoal.
Born in Queens/New York, lives in New York. Graduated from New York Institute of Technology (1972), since then active as a freelance video and performance artist and painter. Fekner is almost an Institution in New York as a graffiti artist. In 1983 he published his first LP, a kind of "AgitProp" of the 80s and in 1985 started experimenting with Computer graphics. "Concrete People" is practica Hy a survey of his audiovisual ideas.
John Fekner participated at Kassels "documenta 7" in 1982; also at the "Metamanhattan" exhibition at Whitney Museum, New York 1983, at "Via Satellite", Cologne 1984, at "A Brave New World - A New Generation", Copenhagen 1985, at "New York - Berlin Exchange" in New York 1986.
Title of the animation presented for Prix Ars Electronica '87:
"Concrete People", 4'30", New York 1986.
"Concrete People" is a humorously malicious tale of everyday life in New York, the world’s Capital. Fekner combines both the ideas of graffiti and actual rock music.
Technical Background
The work was created on a Mindset Computer, a digital graphic tablet and with the help of a Lumena Software package.
John Fekner participated at Kassels "documenta 7" in 1982; also at the "Metamanhattan" exhibition at Whitney Museum, New York 1983, at "Via Satellite", Cologne 1984, at "A Brave New World - A New Generation", Copenhagen 1985, at "New York - Berlin Exchange" in New York 1986.
Title of the animation presented for Prix Ars Electronica '87:
"Concrete People", 4'30", New York 1986.
"Concrete People" is a humorously malicious tale of everyday life in New York, the world’s Capital. Fekner combines both the ideas of graffiti and actual rock music.
Technical Background
The work was created on a Mindset Computer, a digital graphic tablet and with the help of a Lumena Software package.